March 11, (THEWILL) – The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Agboola Ajayi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 16, 2024, gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
Contesting the eligibility of Ondo Deputy Governor, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, to contest the election, Ajayi had, in a suit filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on June 7, 2024, accused Adelami of forgery, impersonation, and false identity. He prayed the court to declare Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and his deputy as invalid candidates of the election.
However, Justice T.B. Adegoke, on December 2, 2024, held that criminal accusations of forgery required more substantial evidence, which could not be presented through an originating summons. It declared Ajayi’s petition “statute-barred” as it was filed after the constitutionally mandated deadline. The decision was also unanimously upheld by the Court of Appeal on January 18, 2025, with a N500,000 fine imposed on Ajayi.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Ajayi approached the Supreme Court, seeking to set aside the concurrent judgements of the lower courts.
Listed as respondents in the appeal were the Governor, Aiyedatiwa, the Deputy Governor, Adelami, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But ruling on Tuesday, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammad Lawal Garba, dismissed the appeal for lacking merit, baseless and frivolous. The court upheld the concurrent judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal on the matter.
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